As a measure taken to prevent leak of confidential information from a computer network, a secure document system is known. The secure document system unifies management of a PC and input/output devices connected to a network, and secure data handled by them. The secure document system has a security management server that performs access right management. Upon accessing encrypted secure data by the PC or input/output device connected to the network, a main body that accesses, for example, a secure application, secure printer, or the like must be authenticated by the security management server as needed.
For this reason, in order to access encrypted secure data, the main body of access must be able to access the security management server. Even if secure data is brought outside the secure document system, since authentication of the server cannot be obtained, that secure data cannot be accessed. The security management server can unify management of all the access states and access histories of PC, application, and input/output devices which access secure data.
However, one often wants to bring secure data outside the secure document system and to use them there. As a solution, a so-called remote access method of accessing the security management server from the place the user has gone via a telephone line to acquire authentication is known (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-366314).
However, upon accessing the secure document system using remote access, the security management server must permit external accesses such as the telephone line and the like. Such remote access poses a problem in terms of security, i.e., protection against computer viruses, invasion, and the like.
Furthermore, for the secure document system, advanced management by means of an administrator and the like, management apparatus, management program, and the like is an option. However, an apparatus such as a personal computer and the like which tries to access the security management server is separated from the secure document system and has a low security level. For this reason, when such apparatus is granted access right or processing right of the same level as that of the apparatus which belongs to the secure document system, leak of confidential information or the like occurs, thus undermining security.
More specifically, the operability and convenience lower if security improves, and vice versa. Hence, it is difficult to meet these two conflicting requirements at the same time.